Dream Lost
by SiriusMarauderFan
Summary: Teddy spends too much time in his head. one shot.


**Author's Note:** Many thanks to Liza for helping with the story, and Jordi for editing.

Written for...

Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. _Team/Position:_ Montrose Magpies, Chaser 1. _Task:_ Write about Patented Daydream Charms. _Prompts:_ one line of dialogue, no using 'what', 907 words (without a/n, title or line breaks)

Hogwarts Assignment #5. _Lesson:_ Ancient Studies. _Task:_ Write about something being saved for special and/or important occasions.

* * *

 **Dream Lost**

Teddy's fascination with the daydreams started when he was fourteen.

He'd been to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes enough times to know the shop inside and out and could practically recite the entire inventory from memory, but somehow he'd missed the Patented Daydream Charms. This was possibly due to the fact that they were part of the WonderWitch line of products, as the hot pink sticker on the box denoted. Teddy had never bothered with the WonderWitch aisle.

It was hard to ignore his curiosity over the unknown product as he watched an older student buy several boxes. He waited until they had gone before asking the saleswitch about them. Without batting a lash, the woman handed him a box and sent him on his way. All the employees knew he was basically the owner's nephew and that meant Teddy frequently received free products.

He didn't think much of the gift, or even notice that he was two years under the box's specified age limit, as he stuffed it in his bag and ran off to join his friends. He didn't think of it again until later that night, when he was alone and making an attempt at doing his homework.

The box had worked its way to the bottom of the bag. He read the instructions thoroughly, intrigued by the sound of a realistic daydream to last thirty minutes. His teachers often accused him of daydreaming too much, but how different would a daydreaming charm be?

The charm itself was placed on a glittery powder, a pinch of which was kept safe in a small see-through pouch. Teddy untied the pouch, watching in astonishment as the powder floated up towards his face, getting in his eyes and nose. He blinked rapidly, expecting his eyes sting at the impact, but instead they felt tired. Resting his head against the back of the chair, he closed his eyes and let the charm take over.

Most of Teddy's regular daydreams up to this point had involved single-handedly winning the house cup, or flying all over the world on the back of a dragon. He had expected something similarly fantastic from the charm, but when he opened his eyes he was standing in the garden of his grandmother's house instead. Disappointed, he trudged inside to find Andromeda.

The smell of fresh-baked pies wafted through the house, which didn't make any sense. Andromeda wasn't a great cook, and she was even worse at baking. Teddy followed the scent to the kitchen and gasped at the sight: his parents, alive and well, laughing and cooking alongside Andromeda.

The half hour he was permitted to spend with his family was the most amazing piece of magic Teddy had ever witnessed and he became obsessed with getting more of it, which was not an easy feat given his age. In fact it became so difficult to talk the shop employees into selling him daydreams that he tried paying older students to buy them for him. It only worked a handful of times.

:-:

The week Teddy turned sixteen, he strode into the shop like he owned the building and very nearly bought out their supply of daydream charms. The clerk eyed him curiously but said nothing. He had enough money to pay for everything and, after all, he was Mr. Weasley's nephew.

Teddy rationed his daydreams carefully, afraid of running out before the next Hogsmeade visit. He decided Saturday would be his night to relax. He'd sneak into an abandoned classroom and visit with his dead parents. Sometimes the scene would change: Uncle Harry would be there, too, and all the cousins, or maybe just Victoire.

:-:

He took a job over the summer to pay for his hobby, however he returned to the shop at the end of August to find the display of Patented Daydream Charms missing.

George was hunched over his desk, tinkering with a new product when Teddy found him. He sighed deeply at Teddy's queries about the charms and made sure the door was shut and locked before speaking to his pseudo-nephew, explaining how he'd been keeping tabs on how many daydreams he'd been buying and how often. He was discontinuing the daydreams and all boxes would be destroyed, save for one that he placed in the boy's hands at the end of the conversation.

"Time to say goodbye," he said sternly, and let Teddy go.

:-:

The box sat at the bottom of Teddy's trunk for months to come, but remained on his mind at all times. Every Saturday he would have trouble concentrating on anything else. But he refused to use the last charm. He told himself he was saving it for a special occasion, but really he was just being a coward. Saying goodbye seemed so much harder than never seeing them again.

There was a private ceremony held for students leaving Hogwarts, a time for parents and teachers to rejoice in all that the students had learned over their seven years. Andromeda, Harry and Ginny all came to support him. And yet, despite having his family there, Teddy knew something was missing. Perhaps he wouldn't have felt the loss had he not gotten caught up in daydreams, but he couldn't ignore it now.

He had one last night to spend at Hogwarts but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. His parents would be waiting up for him. They'd be proud of him. He just needed to say goodbye.


End file.
